We recognize that students should have the opportunity to investigate all employment options of interest to them when making their career decisions.
The following guidelines have been established to ensure that undue pressure is not placed on students by employing organizations. Both students and recruiters are expected to follow recruiting guidelines at WashU. If you are concerned with any recruiter actions, please contact the Career Center for advice in handling the situation.
Recruiter Info
Employers and recruiters: please visit our website for Employers wishing to recruit WashU students for internship or job opportunities.
Recruiting Guidelines for Employers:
Exploding Offers are prohibited: (e.g., any offer that does not afford a candidate the appropriate time to either accept or decline and/or has special incentives attached for the purposes of inducing early acceptances). Such offers put enormous pressure on our students to make a decision before they have completed the interviewing process.
Fall Recruiting for Full-Time or Internship Offers: It is common for students to receive a full-time offer at the end of the internship or in early September. For all full-time offers or internship offers made in the summer or the Fall, we strongly encourage giving the student a minimum of three weeks after the offer is made or until December 1, whichever is later. The intent is to allow students to participate in the majority of fall recruiting.
Spring Recruiting for Full-time or Internship Offers: For companies interviewing in the spring semester, we recommend giving the student until March 1 or a minimum of three weeks after the offer is made (whichever is later).
Students are urged to immediately release offers they do not plan to accept: Reneging on offers (accepting an offer at first, and then turning it down at a later date) is considered a serious breach of our recruiting policies and such action receives immediate attention.
Confidentiality and NACE Principles: We ask that employers abide by the Principles for Employment Professionals of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). All materials received from our students (letters, résumés, and transcripts, via email or hard copy), should be shared only with those persons at the company involved in the hiring process. Salary data is collected and reported in aggregate format.
Recruiting Guidelines for Students:
We hold all parties in the recruiting relationship to the highest professional standards and are committed to maintaining fundamental principles of mutual respect, excellence, integrity, and professionalism throughout the recruiting process.
Student Code of Conduct
By choosing to utilize the Career Center’s services we expect you will adhere to the following standards of professional and ethical behaviors:
Demonstrate professionalism in all recruiting activities and relationships.
- Meet deadlines posted by employers.
- Arrive on time for all recruiting events.
- Promptly respond to emails from staff, employers and recruiters.
- Turn off cell phones and other devices during events and interviews.
- If you RSVP to a meeting or event, follow through with your commitment.
- Interviews and information sessions typically require business professional attire unless otherwise noted.
- Give at least 2 business days’ notice before canceling or changing an interview. In the event of a “No Show” for an interview, you must meet with a career adviser within two business days of the missed interview.
- Academics are a priority. We do not encourage you to miss class to attend company information sessions, or participate in career events. You will need to communicate with your professor(s) if absence(s) are unavoidable.
Represent yourself and WashU accurately.
- Keep your profile and resume up to date with accurate information.
- Accept offers in good faith. An accepted offer is binding and assumes that you are no longer job searching. This is standard professional expectation at all universities. If you renege on an offer, the Career Center reserves the right to take appropriate action.
- Report your employment status, including received and accepted offers through Handshake.
If you have questions or concerns about an employment offer, please contact the Career Center immediately. Our Career Advisors will help you determine if an employer is not following the above guidelines and will help you decide a course of action.